A medicine dispensing apparatus operable to handle medicines in press through package (PTP), a medicine wrapping device operable to handle discrete medicines, and an automatic injection ampule feeding apparatus operable to handle injection medicines have been put into practical use as an automated medicine dispenser for medicines such as tablets and capsules. Further, a medicine dispensing system in which the medicine dispenser described above is provided to face a container (tray) conveying mechanism and a dispensing target medicine is put from the dispenser into a container being conveyed so that an indicated medicine is collected in the container to be dispensed has also been put into practical use (see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-153542, for example). In the medicine dispensing system, the container is provided with a label into which container (tray) identification information in the form of a barcode, for example, can be written. In the medicine dispensing system, visibly recognizable information can be can be rewritten into the label in a non-contact manner using laser light.
Meanwhile, an electronic stock tag integrating electronic paper serving as an information display having advantages of both electronic data and printed matter, a built-in electronic circuit operable to control drive and store data related to display on the electronic paper, and a wireless receiver operable to receive such data and a command such as a display information rewriting command has been put into practical use (see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-026329, for example). In an electronic stock tag system provided with a large number of electronic stock tags, the electronic stock tags can be accessed using a transceiver (wireless transmitter) fixedly installed and connected to a server (wireless control unit) via a LAN, and information displayed on the electronic stock tags can be changed using a portable remote controller (wireless controller).
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-153542
[Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-026329